Picture frame



'5Pt- 26 1950 B. c. Roel-IRL I 2,523,816

PICTURE FRAME Filed April l, 194'? Z'mventor Gttorneg Patented Sept. 26,. 1950 PICTURE FRAME l l `1 Bruno C. Roehrl, Erie, Pa.,"assignor to National `Organ Supply Company, Erie,

tion of Pennsylvania Pa., a corpora.-

Application April 1, 1947, serrano'. 738,538"

In picture frames of cast or molded thermoplastic material there is a tendency of the material to coldv flow or warp causing the frame to draw away fromthe glass. These eiects are accentuated if the back` fastening produces points I of stress concentration. .Other stresses causing cold iiow may result from hinges connecting two br'f'more frames. This invention is intended to overcome these diiculties by a back fastening and hingeconstruction which minimizes localized stress. Y

In th' accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a rear view of a picture frame; Fig. 2 is an'enla'rged view showing one of the removable eornerpieces; Fig. 2a. is a'view showing one ofthe other corner pieces; Fig. '3 is al perspective of removable corner piece; Fig. 4 isa section online 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a front view of two frames hinged together, and Fig. 6 is a section showing the hinge construction and the connection of the hinge straps to the frames.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a rectangular picture frame having sides I and ends 2 sloping rearwardly from the front of the frame toward the outer edges. frame is a ledge 3 for receiving a glass 4, a picture 5, and a back 6 which may be provided with an easel 1. are side and end rails 8 and. 9 projecting from the rear face of the frame beyond the back. The

glass is held against the ledge by corner pieces I and II at the lower and upper corners of the frame. The corner pieces Il are provided with tongues I2 receivable in slots I3 at the junctions of the side and end rails and tongues I4 receivable in slots I in the side and end rails. The upper corner pieces II can be molded integral with the frame or can be molded separately and cemented in place. It is not necessary that the upper corner pieces be removable as the picture,

glass, and back can be slid under the corner pieces. Each of the lower corner pieces I!) has a central iiexible tongue I1 having its outer end I8 extending through the slot I3 at the junction of the side and end rails and having onthe projecting end a detent ridge I9 engaging the outside of the corner and securely holding the corner piece in place.

As shown in Fig. 3, the tongue I1 is bowed upwardly to increase the holding effect of the detent ridge I9. The flexibility of the tongue I1 is increased by cut out portions 2l) on either side. The greatest stress on the tongue I1 arises as the tongue is being pushed through the corner slot I3. As soon as the detent ridge I9 moves On the rear face of the o claims. (or 4to- 156) At the outer periphery of the ledge 3 through the corner slot, the stress on thetongu'e I1 is relieved. Coldy flow accordingly will not' movethe detent ridgeaway from the locking or holding position.

On either side of the central tongue I1 are short tongues 2| receivable in the slots I5 in the side v v and end rails. At one side of the tongues 2| are stop surfaces 22 which locate the corner pieces. Insertion and removalV of the corner piece vis made easier if a'downw'ard pressure is exertedpnthe tongue I1'at the same ltime'that an inward or outward pressure isV exerted `on a rib 23. Twoor more frames maybe connected at `ad jacent edges by lhinges as shown in Fig. `5 to stand as a unit. The' hinges comprise flexible straps 24 having at one end aknucklejoint 25 connected by a hinge pin 26 and having at the other end a projection 21V receivable in a hole 23Y vin thecorner pieces Ill and I I; Eachiof the knuckle joint members has" an integral hook 29 whichy overlaps the outer edge of the frame. In effect the hooks 29 are provided by a slight undercut 3B. A similar undercut 3l is provided on the projections 21 which conforms with the conical sides 32 in the openings 28.

In the assembly, the hooks-29 are placed over the 'outer edge of the frame and a downward pressure Vexerted at the center of the iiexible straps 24. This causes the projections 21 to snap into the holes 28. The `undercuts 3!! and 3I relieve the stress in the hinge straps and at the same time provide a secure fastening.

The frame is adapted to casting from thermoplastic material with the rails integral with the sides and ends of the frame. The slots I3 and I5 may be molded in the rails. The corner pieces IU and I I and the hinge straps '24 may be made of the same material. While thermo-plastic material is obtainable in a wide variety of attractive colors, it is subject to warping and to cold flow. It is therefore desirable that localized stress be avoided. This is accomplished in the present construction by the corner pieces and by the hinges, both of which are designed to minimize localized stress in the frame.

What I claim as new is:

l. A frame for pictures and the like having a ledge on its rear face for receiving a glass and back, side and end rails bounding the ledge and extending rearwardly from the frame, slots in the side and end rails and at a corner or junce tion between the side and end rails, a corner piece for holding the glass against the ledge having a portion resting on the back with edges engaging the rails and tongues received in the slots, the

tongue receivable in the corner slot projecting through the slot and having detents cooperating with the outer surface of the rails to yieldably resist removal.

2. A frame for pictures and the like having a ledge on its rear face for receiving a glass, side and end rails bounding the ledge and extending rearwardly from the frame, slots inthe side and end rails and at a corner or junction between the side and end rails, a corner piece for holding the glass against the ledge, a portion resting on the back with edges engaging the rails and tonguesv received in the slots, the tongue receivable in the cornerV slot having its free end bowed away from the ledge and projecting through the slot and having detents cooperating with the outer surface of the rails to yieldably resistremoval` 3. A frame for pictures and the like having a ledge on its rear face for receiving a glass, side and end rails bounding the ledge and extending rearwardly from the frame, a retainer cooperating witha rail to` hold the glassV against the ledge; said retainer having a hole, and a hingev member having a portion at one end hookedover theV outer edge of the frame and a projectionat the other enol= snapped through theV hole' i-nthe'retainer.

4. A frame-for pictures and the like'having a ledgev on its rear face for receiving a glass, side and end rails bounding the ledge and extending rearwardly from theframe, a retainer cooperating with a rail t'ohold the glass against the-ledge, said retainerl having a hole, and a hinge member having projections at opposite ends respectively overlapping the outer edge of the frame and ex# tending throughy the hole in theA retainer, said projections having undercuts providing hooks.

5. A frame for pictures and the like having a ledge on its rear face for receiving a glass, side and' end rails bounding the ledge and extending rearwardly from the' frame, slots inI the side and 4 end rails and at a corner, a corner piece for holding the glass against the ledge having integral tongues receivable in the slots, the tongue receivable in the corner slot projecting through the slot and having detents cooperating with the outer surface of the rails to yieldably resist removal, said corner piece having a hole, and a hinge member having projections at opposite ends respectively overlapping the outer edge of the frame and extending through the hole in the corner piece, said projections having undercuts providing hooks.

6. A frame for pictures and the like having a ledge on its rear face receiving a glass, a rail bounding the ledge, a slot in the rail, a retainer having a portion resting on the back with an edge engaging the rail at one side of the slot, a tongue on the retainer projecting through the slot and having a detent cooperating with the outer surface of the rail to yieldably resist removal, said tongue and slot, when the retainer isrested on the back in position to slide/alongA the back toward the rail,` being aligned in the direction of movement of the retainer.

BRUNO C. ROEHRL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Tarlitz Jan. 9, 1945 

